S.F. supes extend helping hand to immigrants

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As immigrants face skyrocketing application fees from the federal government, a new proposal by Supervisor Chris Daly could give financial assistance to those applying for citizenship.

Under a new fee structure the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services implemented last week, an immigrant applying for a green card would pay $930, an increase of $605. Other fees that increased were citizenship applications, which went from $330 to $595.

Daly requested on Tuesday that the city attorney draft legislation to create a plan to provide city subsidies to immigrants applying for citizenship, green cards and petitions for relatives, and workers. He has also requested an analysis of the total cost immigrants in San Francisco pay for such services.

In further support given to immigrants, Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval introduced a resolution Tuesday condemning the "defamatory language used by radio personality Michael Savage against immigrants." Sandoval’s resolution comes after Savage’s July 5 broadcast, during which he made a number of comments involving a group of students who were fasting to advocate for immigration policy changes. Savage said, "I would say, let them fast until they starve to death, then that solves the problem." The resolution calls the comments "symbolic of hatred and racism."

"I really for the life of me cannot understand why there is not more media outrage to what Michael Savage said," Sandoval said. He plans on holding a press conference on the steps of City Hall this Tuesday prior to the Board of Supervisors vote on the resolution. "The intolerant and racist comments of Michael Savage demand a strong condemnation," Sandoval said.